Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00384
Apply for F16AS00384
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the community development, education, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rally 2016: The National Land Conservation Conference" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 11, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by The recipient has ben selected.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $30,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
Rally 2016: The National Land Conservation Conference (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00384) was a discretionary grant opportunity from the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), designed to strengthen private land conservation partners at a time when public funding for land acquisition was declining. The basic idea behind the award was that if land trusts and other private conservation organizations are better trained and better connected to federal programs, they can more effectively help conserve important lands, including through donations of land or conservation easements that support the National Wildlife Refuge System. This matters because, even with tightening budgets, private partners were already playing a major role in helping the USFWS Division of Realty meet its mission, with a significant share of acquired lands coming through donations rather than purchases.
The funding was intended to support the Land Trust Alliance, a national nonprofit representing more than 1,100 member land trusts, in delivering education and training that improves how land trusts collaborate with USFWS, particularly around refuge-related conservation within National Wildlife Refuge System boundaries. In practical terms, the grant supported efforts that would help land trusts understand the federal processes, expectations, and partnership pathways involved in working with USFWS Realty, and it explicitly emphasized building capacity that would make land trusts more effective at facilitating and completing land protection projects that could ultimately be donated to the refuge system.
A major focus of the work described in the opportunity was education: equipping land trust staff, board members, and volunteers with the skills needed to execute complex land conservation projects responsibly and efficiently. Training topics highlighted include Land Trust Standards and Practices (the ethical and technical guidelines that underpin credible land trust operations), conservation finance strategies, project due diligence, biodiversity protection, and water resource protection through strategic conservation planning. The Alliance also planned to convene partners, including federal agencies, to share guidance on how land trusts can navigate different programs, initiatives, and funding sources. The description points to workshops and learning sessions on themes such as shifts in the Land and Water Conservation Fund and interagency collaboration tied to national landscape initiatives, as well as direct partnership models between the National Wildlife Refuge System, land trusts, and local governments. Training would be delivered through a mix of in-person and online formats, including advanced legal trainings, regional and national events, standards-and-practices curricula, and webinars, with many sessions subsidized so they remain affordable or free despite typical registration fees.
The centerpiece event supported by this effort was Rally 2016, the Land Trust Alliance annual national conference, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 28 to 30. Established in 1985, Rally was presented as the Alliance's premier training and networking event for the land conservation community. Rally 2016 was planned to include more than 120 workshops, in-depth seminars, field trips, and special networking and learning events for roughly 1,500 participants, with about 300 experienced conservation professionals serving as faculty. The conference was framed as practical and immediately useful, aiming to share creative and entrepreneurial approaches while building long-term organizational strength, with the broader goal of fostering self-sustaining land trusts capable of conserving more land over time.
The opportunity also laid out clear performance and evaluation targets to measure whether Rally 2016 met its goals. These included achieving at least 1,500 registrants (plus additional attendees and guests), attracting diverse participation across 50 states, territories, and countries with representation from about 300 organizations, and ensuring that at least 10 percent of attendees were land trust board members. Other benchmarks included awarding 80 scholarships, having first-time participants make up about 20 percent of attendees, and collecting strong satisfaction results through session evaluations, aiming for 90 percent of workshops and seminars to score at least 4 out of 5, along with a headline measure that 98 percent of participants would recommend Rally to a peer. Participant feedback was also emphasized as a qualitative measure of impact, with the expectation that attendees would return home with concrete ideas and action plans and then share what they learned within their own communities, extending the benefit beyond the conference itself.
From an administrative standpoint, the grant was categorized under community development, education, environment, and natural resources, with CFDA number 15.654. Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The award ceiling was $30,000, with one expected award, and the posting indicates that a recipient had already been selected as of the original closing information. Overall, the grant was positioned as a targeted investment in training and partnership-building, intended to improve the effectiveness, credibility, and coordination of land trusts so they can help protect priority lands, support the National Wildlife Refuge System, and maintain conservation momentum even as traditional acquisition funding becomes harder to rely on.
FAQs: Rally 2016 - The National Land Conservation Conference (F16AS00384)
What is the Rally 2016 grant opportunity (F16AS00384)?
Rally 2016: The National Land Conservation Conference (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00384) was a discretionary grant opportunity from the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). It was designed to strengthen private land conservation partners by supporting education, training, and partnership-building activities tied to land protection and the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Which federal agency offered this grant?
The opportunity was offered by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with an emphasis on supporting collaboration with USFWS Realty and refuge-related conservation work.
What problem was the grant intended to address?
The grant responded to a period of declining public funding for land acquisition. The underlying idea was that if land trusts and other private conservation organizations are better trained and more connected to federal programs and processes, they can more effectively conserve important lands, including through donated land or conservation easements that support the National Wildlife Refuge System.
How does this relate to the National Wildlife Refuge System?
The grant emphasized building capacity so land trusts could more effectively facilitate and complete land protection projects that could ultimately be donated to the National Wildlife Refuge System, particularly within refuge system boundaries and in coordination with USFWS Realty.
Who was the intended recipient of the funding?
The funding was intended to support the Land Trust Alliance, a national nonprofit representing more than 1,100 member land trusts, to deliver education and training that improves how land trusts collaborate with USFWS.
What types of activities were supported by this funding?
The opportunity focused on education and partner convening. Supported activities included delivering training in multiple formats (in-person and online), convening partners (including federal agencies), and providing guidance on how land trusts can navigate federal programs, initiatives, and funding sources related to conservation and refuge partnerships.
What training topics were highlighted in the opportunity description?
Highlighted topics included Land Trust Standards and Practices, conservation finance strategies, project due diligence, biodiversity protection, and water resource protection through strategic conservation planning. The opportunity also referenced workshops on shifts in the Land and Water Conservation Fund, interagency collaboration tied to national landscape initiatives, and partnership models involving the National Wildlife Refuge System, land trusts, and local governments.
How was the training expected to be delivered?
Training was described as a mix of in-person and online learning, including advanced legal trainings, regional and national events, standards-and-practices curricula, and webinars. Many sessions were expected to be subsidized so they would remain affordable or free despite typical registration fees.
What was the centerpiece event supported by this effort?
The centerpiece event was Rally 2016, the Land Trust Alliance annual national conference. It was positioned as the Alliance's premier training and networking event for the land conservation community.
When and where was Rally 2016 held?
Rally 2016 was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from October 28 to 30.
What was the expected size and scope of the Rally 2016 conference?
The opportunity described a conference plan that included more than 120 workshops, in-depth seminars, field trips, and special networking and learning events for roughly 1,500 participants, with about 300 experienced conservation professionals serving as faculty.
Who was the training meant to help (target audience)?
The training focus included land trust staff, board members, and volunteers. The opportunity also set a benchmark that at least 10 percent of attendees would be land trust board members.
What was the overall goal of investing in Rally 2016 and related training?
The stated goal was to build stronger, more self-sustaining land trusts that are credible, effective, and better coordinated with federal partners. By improving training and connections to federal processes, the effort aimed to increase conservation outcomes over time, including land and easement donations that support refuge priorities.
What performance targets were identified to measure success?
The opportunity listed several evaluation targets, including at least 1,500 registrants (plus additional attendees and guests), diverse participation across 50 states, territories, and countries, representation from about 300 organizations, at least 10 percent board-member attendance, and awarding 80 scholarships.
Were first-time attendees specifically tracked or encouraged?
Yes. The opportunity included a benchmark that first-time participants would make up about 20 percent of attendees.
How was attendee satisfaction expected to be measured?
Satisfaction was to be measured through session evaluations and participant feedback. Targets included having 90 percent of workshops and seminars score at least 4 out of 5, and a headline measure that 98 percent of participants would recommend Rally to a peer.
Why did the opportunity emphasize participant feedback beyond scores?
Participant feedback was highlighted as a qualitative measure of impact, with the expectation that attendees would return home with concrete ideas and action plans and share what they learned within their own communities, extending benefits beyond the conference itself.
What grant categories did this opportunity fall under?
The grant was categorized under community development, education, environment, and natural resources.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity was 15.654.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $30,000.
How many awards were expected?
One award was expected.
Was this an open opportunity at the time of the posting information?
The posting information indicates that a recipient had already been selected as of the original closing information.
Why focus on land trusts rather than direct federal land acquisition?
The opportunity described a context where public funding for acquisition was declining while private partners were already playing a major role in supporting USFWS Realty's mission. A significant share of acquired lands was coming through donations rather than purchases, so improving land trust capacity and alignment with federal processes was presented as a practical way to sustain conservation momentum.
What kinds of conservation transactions were implicitly supported by the training focus?
The opportunity emphasized land protection projects that could be donated to the refuge system, including donations of land or conservation easements, and it highlighted due diligence and legal/technical competencies needed to execute complex conservation projects responsibly and efficiently.
How did the grant aim to strengthen collaboration with USFWS specifically?
It aimed to help land trusts better understand federal processes, expectations, and partnership pathways for working with USFWS Realty, and it planned to convene partners to share guidance on navigating programs, initiatives, and funding sources connected to refuge-related conservation.
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